Reclining or hammock chair



2 Sheets-#Sheet l.

(No Model.)

E. H. PLUMMER.

RBCLINING 0R HAMMUGK CHAIR.

Patented Apr. A15, 1884.

. (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. P. H. PLUMMER.

RBGLINING 0R HAMMOGK CHAIR. 170.296,777. Patented Apr. 15, 1884.

Nypcrana' Mmmm, wmmmn. u c

UNITED STATES hierrr V reins.

FRANK H. PLUMMER, OFHENNIKER, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO* G. W. di

- M. L. STEARNS, OF LEBAION, NEV HAMPSHIRE.

RECLINING OR HAMMOCK CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,'77'7, dated Aprill5, 1884,

Application tiled November 14,1883. (No model.)

:To @ZZ whom. may concern.: means, so that the chair can be lifted bythe Be it known that I, FRANK H. PLUMMER, a arms Without their fallingont. citizen of the United States, residing at Hen- The chair-body iscomposed of the back B, niker, in the county of Merrimac and State theseat H, and the leg-rest L. The sides S S 55 5 of New Hampshire, haveinvented certain ofthe back. are pivoted to the rear ofthe movnenr anduseful Improvements in Reclining or ing seat at'p p through metalliclugs b b, the Hammock Chairs; and do declare the followform of which isshown in Figs. l, 8, and 8a ing to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of form of lug which can be reversed at will.theinventiomsuch as will enable others skilled The seat is also pivotedto the leg-support in 6o 1o in the art to which ,it appertains to makeand the same way. @See Figs. l and 3.)

use thesame,referencebeinghad to the accom- The leg-support L consistssimply of the panying drawings, and to the letters and igside bars, Il,and the cross-slats l. As said ures of reference marked thereon, whichform leg-rest is hinged to the front brackethinges, a part of thisspecification. G C, at h 7L, it is moved out and in by the shift- 65 15The object of my invention is to provide a reing seat H, supporting thelimbs, and connectclining-chair which m'ay be used interchangeing saidseat with the 'front bracket-hinges, ably as a house-chair or ahammock-chair, the C C. 5 legs being easily removed in the latter caseThe chair-arms A A are rigid, never changbefore suspension by cords orotherwise. A ing their position as the chair-bodyisinclined, 7o '2ofurther object is to 'provide a swinging legbeing screwed to the bracket-hinges, solid rest which shall move with the shifting chaircastings.Underneath said arms are the front sea-t. A further object is to suspendthe chairand rear hinge-brackets, C C D D. Those in body from front andback bracket-hinges at front are shown in Figs. l and 2 and in detailtached to the chairar1ns,so that the properlevin Figs. it and 5. Theyare constructed to re- 7 5 2 5 erage and apeifect balance are obtainedby the ceive the inner chair-legs and the upper ends occupant, Whetherthe chair is upright or in of the side bars of the leg-rest, the pivotat h. the forni of acouch,orin any intermediatepoforming a hinge belowthe partition f. At sition, Without any eftort or mechanism to hold theouter sides are bent arms a, for receiving it in the desired position.one end of Aa rope when the chair is used as a So 3o v My invention aisoconsists in details of con,- hammock. lhe rear bracketliinges, D D,restruction, which will be described below and ceive the outerchair-legsin the socket-arm a', pointed out in the claims.v and extenddown to i'orm a hinge with the In the drawings, Figure lis a perspectivechairback at g on each side. A short disvieiv of my chair when used as ahammock, tance above the hinge is an inclined stop, s, S 5 35 the legsbeing removed. Fig. 2 is a side elefor a purpose hereinafter explained..This vation of a house-chair. Fig. 3 is a detail form'ot' hinge-brackethas a slot, a?, cut inthe view, showing the front lugs for pivoting theback ot' the leg socket-arm c', for receiving the chairseat and leg-resttogether. Fig. 4 is a other end of the rope when the chair is usedvertical section of one of the front bracketas a hammock. (See Fig. 7.)Below the stop 9o .to hinges. Fig. 5 is an end view from the rear. s thebracket is cut away to form hingearms Fig. 6 is a side elevation of oneof the rear r r, and Within theset-he side bars of thechairbrackethinges. Fig. 7 is an end view from back play, the stoppreventing the bars from. the front. Fig. Sis a detail view of one ofthe being pushed back far enough to destroyT the pivoting-lugs attachedto the front and rear of balance. Vithin these hinge arms three 9 5 45the chair-seat. v sides of the bars S S are protected by a metal In thedrawings like letters refer to like strap, (see fm, Fig. 2,) which takesthe strain Y parts. of the hinge-bolt and prevents the bars from It isdesirable to state in the outset that the breaking. The seat and back ofthe chair cross-legs X X', which. have rounds, may be may be lined withleather-board or more exrco 5o easily inserted or removed. If inserted,it is pensive material.

Well to fasten them slightly by some ordinary In Fig. l I have shown ahead and foot rest;

. but as they form subjects of separate applications they aredisclainied here.

Referring to the chair-arms again, it will be seen that they are of suchheight from the seat as to always serve as a comfortable support, theirposition always being the same, irrespective of that of the moving chairback, seat, and legrest, as said arms are rigidly fastened to thebracket-hinges.

Referring to the legs, it will be noticed that they extend above thesides of the chair-seat in a marked degree. This prevents the chairbodyfrom swaying to any extent-a fault noticeable in all chairs of this kindwhere the legs do not extend above the seat. It will also be seen thatthe outer leg, X, is so arranged as to clear' the lower ends of thesides of the chair-back when they swing up toward the arms. A reversearrangement would not permit of this. The inner legs, X', permit theseat to move freely, but yet prevent swaying. The lower end of thechair-back never goes much beyond the outer legs, X. It will be furtherseen, except as one means of supporting the chair-body, the legs are notessential, the moving vparts operating aswell when a rope is used tomake a hammock-chair.

The operation of my chair is as follows: When the occupant reclines, thechair bac-k, seat, and leg-rest move correspondingly, the back andleg-rest always assuming a parallel position, or nearly so, through theagency of the moving seat. As the center of weight shifts, the movingparts are so joined together as to adapt themselves to it at once. Theupper portion of the chair-back can never be pushed rearward too far, asthe stops s, which are cast with the brackets D, prevent; hence therewill be no danger. (See Figs. 1. 2, and 6.) rIhe center of weight beingcarried forward until the stops prevent further reclining, the chair ispractically as safe when in the form of a couch as when less inclined.

To use my chair as a hammock it is only necessary to lift it from thelegs by the rigid arms, and to attach ropes with knotted ends to theside arms, a, of the front and socket-arms a of the rear bracket-hingesbelow said arms. The chair will then operate as before.

In an application filed November 14, 1883, Serial N o. 111,760, I alsoshow the main frame or chair-body, but combined with a foot-rest; and Idisclaim the construction described and claimed in that application,confining myself here to the main frame proper and its means ofsupport.The head-rest, incidentally shown, I also disclaim, as it forms thesubject of a substantially as described, whereby they may be connectedwith means for supporting the structure from above, or connected to asupporting-base,as and for the purposes specified. 2. rIhe arm-rests andthe front brackets, C C, the latter provided with bent arms a, dependingsides for receiving the leg-support between them, and sockets for theinner chairlegs, combined with the pivoted leg-support, chair seat andback,the rear brackets, and supporting means for the structure,substantially as set forth, as and for the purposes specified.

3. The arm-rests and rear brackets, D D, the latter provided with theouter-leg socketarm a', the slot a2, the depending hinge-arm, and thestop s, combined with the pivoted back, seat, and leg-support, the frontbrackets, and supporting means for the structure, substantially as setforth, as and for the purposes specified.

4. The combination of the back, seat, and leg-support, said leg-supportand back-frame being provided with metal lugs bb at the point ofpivoting the seat thereto, with the front and rear brackets, C C D D,the arm-rests, and supporting means, substantially as set forth, for thestructure, as and for the purposes specified.

5. The combination,with the chair-supporting frame consisting of twopairs of crossed arms or bars pivoted together, one within the other, ofthe' arm-rests provided with front and rear brackets, the back pivotedto the rear brackets, the leg-support pivoted to the front brackets, andthe seat pivoted to the back and legsupport between the bars, formingthe frames thereof, the said rear brackets being provided with theoffset-sockets to receive the ends of the outer pair of supportingbars,as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK H. PLUMMER.

Witnesses:.

H. W. CRAGIN, C. A. COOPER.

IOO

